In His Father's Steps
by Levan
Summary: For the start of a journey begins with an untimely inspiration. EdWin, Father's Day Fic.


A/N: A father's day Fanfic, with a bit of EdWin love in between. Happy Father's Day guys!

Disclaimer: What I will say is obvious so I don't need to bother saying it!

* * *

><p>"You did it again, Hohenheim."<p>

It seemed so... surreal, for him to be standing before his father's grave.

It felt like it was just yesterday when he last saw him, contemplating by himself. He remembered his expression - so concentrated, so troubled that he didn't even look back at them when they were sent to the hospital after their ruthless fight with Father.

Did he feel guilty for all of this?

Of course he must have had. But what Edward really wanted to think about was why his father left him and Alphonse again without even a goodbye, almost similarly as years before.

_Heartless bastard_, Edward thought as he knelt down and traced the brand new markings of the freshly dug grave, the encryptions bearing a remarkable resemblance to the ones beside it.

Looking at his mother's grave this time, he reminisced the day Hohenheim had returned to Resembool, after nearly a decade's worth of waiting. He had that callous frown then; that father of his felt like a king when Edward had decided to confront him. He had little idea that his plan of repelling away that cold-hearted man backfired at him; even more so, that a simple statement of his father attacked his pride in one of the most hurtful ways ever.

"_You ran away, didn't you?"_

He could remember it like it was happening presently – the clenching of his teeth and agitated fist clearly gave a signal that he was proven of his cowardice when he burned down the house. And he didn't even decide to admit it to him.

He sat down on the grass and watched the gentle breeze flow along the countryside. Years had passed yet not a single thing had changed from the landscape, aside from the new, vibrant home just a distance away. It was his new home; there was no doubt about it. It was the place where he found a new revelation – a renewed life with his very brother, now with a body that he proudly sacrificed his alchemy with it.

And that reminded him. Alchemy.

Besides years of tranquil, there was that; months of nothing but the empty, non-productive clapping of his hands. Alchemy was certainly his life then, but he gave it away altogether – and as far as he'd come to know, he hadn't regretted it ever since.

He observed his two hands.

One wasn't flesh and bone before. It was heavy and metallic. It didn't have a bright shade – rather, it was dull and chrome. It was solid and hard, and compared to his other hand, it wasn't soft nor comfortable. And it was annoying at times, especially in fights when it just completely fails to work or gets torn apart.

On the other hand, it was pretty useful. It was tough enough for his defensive maneuvers and it allowed him to manipulate its form in any way he pleased. It saved him a lot of times, especially against Scar, which, if it weren't for his arm, he'd be lying beside these two now with the dirt choking him under that rigid earth.

Gone were the days of the Fullmetal Alchemist. He was just plain ol' Edward Elric now, as always.

Perhaps it'd be nice to return to those days. At least he'd have a little more spark in his life unlike what's happening currently. Everything seems too normal for him – people may think that everyday isn't the same, but from what he's been through, even counting every single blade of grass in Resembool would still be pretty boring.

His hands floated above his legs and to his surprise, two hands snatched them from behind.

"Are you dreaming about it again?"

He retreated his hands when he heard her gentle voice. Winry knew how to make the most unpleasant of entrances – and this was one of them.

"What do you care?" Edward hissed at the meddling blonde.

"You should really stop, you know. You look stupid watching your hands like that," she retorted.

Edward scowled at her ridicule – yet after a few moments he found himself, admitting that he does, indeed, misses the way his own two hands produced weapons of mass destruction, or shaped the land to his liking.

Indeed, Alchemy was his life. It was the only valuable thing he didn't lose when he committed taboo. In the end he had to give it up in exchange to what they desperately wanted all these years. And he never regretted it ever since that event.

"Since when did Hohenheim die- I mean, pass away anyway?" Edward questioned her.

"Two months before you came back here. Why do you want to know?"

He hesitated at first, but answered. "...Nothing important," was his dull reply.

Winry looked at his blue, glazed eyes. It was probably hard, even for him, to see that his father was dead. Though Alphonse shared most of the sorrow when they learned about his father's death, Edward seems to manifest the equal amount of lament himself. He's just hiding it with a monotonous face, as she knew.

It's odd for her that it took him years to realize even that his father was gone. Even if Pinako did clearly tell him that he died the moment he arrived here. Why just now? Winry wanted to find out, whatever it took her.

"I'm leaving," Edward said dryly.

"...What?" she stared at him with two incredulous eyes. He couldn't be serious, could he? He just rebuilt his home, she thought.

"I have to go. There are still places to see, you know. I just can't stay here forever, nor would Al."

Edward noticed her, face twisting into a frown and her eyes cast on the evergreen patches of grass below her.

He regretted telling it to her the moment she showed her reaction. He knew it was a selfish decision – for her to be waiting for him for so long, and just leaving like it was nothing.

"Sure."

Was Edward dreaming, or did Winry just accept what he wanted to do?

"What?"

"What else? I told you, sure. You can go, just as long as you bring souvenirs back here."

He doubted it at first, thinking she had some evil plan up her sleeve, but fortunately she didn't. He was confident that there was no malicious intent evident in her tone.

"And take care of your leg."

Then comes the bartering. Equivalent Exchange indeed.

"Anything else, ma'am?" Edward teased.

"Then tell me everything."

"Everything of what?"

"Your adventures and stuff. When you come home, I expect a big ol' book with tales of your journey in it. I want it hard bound and stuffed to the bone."

"You're very demanding, you know that?"

She chuckled. "And what makes of you, mister 'I'll get my body back whatever it takes'?"

Both found themselves laughing at their ridiculous argument – they didn't have such a goodhearted laugh for a while. They thought they were going insane, but in truth, much of their conversations of the past were exchanged with ordinary greetings and frank stares, lacking much of the spunk both had before all this.

"So, where and when do you plan to go, anyway? Tomorrow?"

"Precisely," his confident voice answered. "I'm heading west. Al's going east, to learn about Xingese Alkahestry."

"Or perhaps visit the princess..."

"It could be," Edward said, smiling.

"Very well. Go and pack your things, we're heading to the train station tomorrow in the morning. And make sure you sleep early, okay? I don't want to see you lingering about at night. It'll be a long trip tomorrow."

"Yeah yeah," Edward groaned, before heading back home. Winry looked back as he strolled away to the other direction, his new, towering figure captivating her senses.

"You're so tall now, Ed," she said, before her words disappeared with the wind.

"Do you have everything?"

"Yeah. Everything's in this trusty suitcase." Edward pointed to his thick, brown case before gazing at her again. "Some books, packed food, and my clothes."

"And I'm guessing you forgot the oil and spare parts for your automail?"

A sweat dropped from his forehead and rushed back to his room. Seconds later, he arrived with an oilcan and some brand new-looking metal parts for his automail. "Here."

"Good. Aren't you going to say goodbye to Al before you go?"

"Why? He's leaving too."

"But you'll be leaving first," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You should at least give a proper goodbye."

He turned around and stared blankly at the stairs, the upper echelons looking quite daunting to him. Alphonse was up there, in his room, sleeping soundly. It was only just now that it occurred to him that he was leaving, after all these years, from the home he and Al built for themselves.

"...No."

"Why not?"

"Because saying goodbye would mean that you're not going to return. I'll be seeing Al soon after, so why should I say my farewell?"

Winry raised a brow. "And _where_ did you learn that?"

"From a certain someone," Edward answered, smiling.

_At least you're good for something, old man._

"Wait here, okay?"

Winry left without a clue, into the living room. Edward stood there, stomping his feet and his arms crossed around his chest. He looked at his watch then returned to his usual routine, until finally she emerged like a dove from its nest when she had arrived back at the front door again with a long, gray coat in her hand.

"What's that for?"

"It seems to be one of your dad's," she explained as she faced his back and slowly helped him wear the coat.

"It reeks with his old man scent," Edward complained, holding his nose.

"Oh shut up," Winry ordered. "It'll be a waste if you leave it in the laundry room hanging forever, you know. Besides, it kind of suits you."

"Kind of? I'd rather wear my red jacket again than this."

"At least you're tall enough to wear the whole thing now," she remarked, ignoring his statement, infuriating the blonde man altogether.

A moment of silence swept between them, and Edward spat out words she didn't expect to come out of his mouth.

"Fine. If this suits me, then so be it. It _is_ kind of... comfy, anyway," he said, his cheeks glowing into a bright, scarlet shade.

She slapped the back of his head. "Let's go. The train will be leaving soon."

The walk wasn't far from the train station, but Winry insisted to come with him before he goes. "It's because I always get to wait," she excused, "At least let me see you go off."

A few minutes later and they were just a few meters away from the train station. The train hadn't arrived yet, and Winry thought of asking a question before they reach their destination.

"You haven't told me yet."

"Haven't told you about what?"

"Why you decided to leave."

"I told you, I was going to study Western alchemy-"

"Not that," Winry interrupted. "I mean, what's your real motive? You're not an alchemist anymore, so why study more about it?"

He cast his eyes downward, his words seemingly disappearing within his grasp. But he answered her question, even through his heavy heart.

"I just wanted to show Hohenheim that I wouldn't need four hundred years to see the world. I want to show him that it'll take me less time to see everything he had."

She stared at him, all her impressions of him against his father wilting away from her mind. She grinned at him, and he grinned back, and the exchange of smiles grew to a bond that she was grateful for since the early days of her life.

"Then I guess it's best to start now, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ed agreed.

As they further walked along the dusty path, he watched her face, filled with untimely gratitude, and mused with himself.

_Perhaps... I'll ask her. Before I go._

The train was still not visible over the horizon. He smiled to himself, thinking that fate decided he'll be able to ask her before he goes. Perhaps he imagined himself, too, that his father looked down upon him and saw that he was destined to marry Winry Rockbell.

_That's __disturbing, _he thought, a gleeful look plastered on his face.

And in his mind he thanked the old man, thinking that if it weren't for him, Winry wouldn't be here beside him. Inside, he promised himself that he would achieve something far better than his father had.

Yet, the clueless Edward didn't even know that he had already done it.


End file.
